Erling Haaland was on target for his 300th career goal as Manchester City maintained their 100 per cent winning start to the Premier League season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Coventry City.
Frank Lampard’s visitors caused a couple of early scares at the Etihad Stadium, but Man City soon found their groove and Rayan Cherki crashed an effort against the right post.
Haaland clinically headed in Antoine Semenyo’s cross after 26 minutes, but the usually lethal striker missed a couple of other presentable first-half opportunities.
The second half proved an altogether quieter affair with the hosts not at their fluent best, and Gianluigi Donnarumma had to make a couple of important saves to preserve the three points.
How the match unfolded
Enzo Maresca handed Man City debuts to deadline-day signings Iliman Ndiaye and Enzo Fernandez, the latter after Nico O’Reilly suffered an injury in the warm-up.
His team made a slow start, though, as Donnarumma almost let Abdukodir Khusanov’s simple backpass crawl over the line, and Taiwo Awoniyi missed a one-on-one after a Semenyo giveaway.
Haaland had already drilled straight at Carl Rushworth, while Cherki also rattled the upright before Man City took the lead.
Fernandez sent Semenyo scampering down the right flank, and he hung over an excellent ball from the byline for Haaland to emphatically head home at the back post.
Haaland then bustled his way past Bobby Thomas shortly before half-time, but he could only shoot directly at Rushworth from Cherki’s clever flick.
Man City’s No 9 had another goal ruled out just shy of the hour, with Fernandez being offside after a lovely scooped pass into his teammate’s path.
The hosts’ failure to find a second nearly proved costly when Loum Tchaouna’s low effort was palmed away by Donnarumma.
Ndiaye brought a bit of spark to a low-key second half with a flashed cross that Haaland kept alive and played back to Phil Foden, who was denied on the line by Thomas.
Donnarumma then had to come to Man City’s rescue again, thwarting Ellis Simms from inside the six-yard box with his face.
Man City held out and their slender victory backed up wins over AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, while Coventry remain without a point after their first three matches since promotion.